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Genesis 14

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1 And it came to pass at that time, that Amraphel king of Sennaar, and Arioch king of Pontus, and Chodorlahomor king of the Elamites, and Thadal king of nations,

2 Made war against Bara king of Sodom, and against Bersa king of Gomorrha, and against Sennaab king of Adama, and against Semeber king of Seboim, and against the king of Bala, which is Segor.

3 All these came together into the woodland vale, which now is the salt sea.

4 For they had served Chodorlahomor twelve years, and in the thirteenth year they revolted from him.

5 And in the fourteenth year came Chodorlahomor, and the kings that were with him: and they smote the Raphaim in Astarothcarnaim, and the Zuzim with them, and the Emim in Save of Cariathaim.

6 And the Chorreans in the mountains of Seir, even to the plains of Pharan, which is in the wilderness.

7 And they returned, and came to the fountain of Misphat, the same is Cades: and they smote all the country of the Amalecites, and the Amorrhean that dwelt in Asasonthamar.

8 And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrha, and the king of Adama, and the king of Seboim, and the king of Bala, which is Segor, went out: and they set themselves against them in battle array in the woodland vale:

9 To wit, against Chodorlahomor king of the Elamites, and Thadal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Sennaar, and Arioch king of Pontus: four kings against five.

10 Now the woodland vale had many pits of slime. And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrha turned their backs and were overthrown there: and they that remained fled to the mountain.

11 And they took all the substance of the Sodomites, and Gomorrhites, and all their victuals, and went their way:

12 And Lot also, the son of Abram's brother, who dwelt in Sodom, and his substance.

13 And behold one that had escaped told Abram the Hebrew, who dwelt in the vale of Mambre the Amorrhite, the brother of Escol, and the brother of Aner: for these had made league with Abram.

14 Which when Abram had heard, to wit, that his brother Lot was taken, he numbered of the servants born in his house, three hundred and eighteen well appointed: and pursued them to Dan.

15 And dividing his company, he rushed upon them in the night: and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hoba, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

16 And he brought back all the substance, and Lot his brother, with his substance, the women also the people.

17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after he returned from the slaughter of Chodorlahomor, and of the kings that were with him in the vale of Save, which is the king's vale.

18 But Melchisedech the king of Salem, bringing forth bread and wine, for he was the priest of the most high God,

19 Blessed him, and said: Blessed be Abram by the most high God, who created heaven and earth.

20 And blessed be the most high God, by whose protection the enemies are in thy hands. And he gace him the tithes of all.

21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram: Give me the persons, and the rest take to thyself.

22 And he answered him: I lift up my hand to the Lord God the most high, the possessor of heaven and earth,

23 That from the very woof thread unto the shoe latchet, I will not take of any things that are thine, lest thou say I have enriched Abram:

24 Except such things as the young men have eaten, and the shares of the men that came with me, Aner, Escol, and Mambre: these shall take their shares.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1725

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1725. That 'Melchizedek' means the celestial things of the Lord's Interior Man becomes clear from the meaning of 'Melchizedek', to be dealt with shortly, and also from the things that come before and after. What the internal man is, what the interior man is, and what the external man is, has been adequately shown above, as also has the fact that the internal man flows into the external man by way of the interior man, as well as that the internal man flows into the interior man either by way of celestial things or by way of spiritual things - by way of celestial things with every regenerate person, that is, with people who lead lives of love to the Lord and of love towards the neighbour, but by way of spiritual things with every individual, whatever his character. It is from this influx that he has his light from heaven, that is, is enabled to think and speak, and to be a human being. See what has appeared already in 1707.

[2] The celestial things of the interior man are all those that belong to celestial love, as often stated already. These celestial things with the Lord's Interior Man, or the Lord's Interior Man as to these celestial things, is called 'Melchizedek'. The Internal Man within the Lord was Jehovah Himself; and when the Interior Man, following the conflicts brought about by temptations, had been purified, that became Divine and Jehovah as well, as likewise did the External Man. But now, while the Interior Man was still passing through a state involving the conflicts brought about by temptation and had not yet been purified to any great extent by means of such conflicts, it is called as to celestial things 'Melchizedek', that is, 'king of holiness and righteousness'.

[3] That this is indeed so is also evident in David where similarly the Lord's conflicts during temptations are the subject, and where at length His Interior Man as regards celestial things is called Melchizedek,

Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand till I make Your enemies as Your foot-stool; Jehovah will send the rod of strength from Zion; have dominion in the midst of Your enemies. Your people will be prompt to offer themselves on the day of Your power, in the beauty of holiness. From the womb of the morning You have the dew of Your birth. Jehovah has sworn and will not repent, You are a Priest for ever, after the manner of 1 Melchizedek. The Lord on Your right hand has smitten kings on the day of His anger. Psalms 110:1-5.

These verses of Psalms 110 refer, as does this chapter in Genesis, to the Lord's temptation-conflicts with the hells, as becomes clear from every word. The fact that the statements in this Psalm refer to the Lord, He Himself teaches in Matthew 22:43-45; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42-44. 'Making enemies a foot-stool', 'having dominion in the midst of enemies', 'the day of power', and 'smiting kings on the day of His anger' mean the conflicts that constitute temptations, and victories.

Footnotes:

1. The Latin means according to my word but the Hebrew means after the manner (or the word) of, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.